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Rewarding and challenging, our 3 Day Fundamental Mod 1 Bushcraft Survival Course will introduce you to the world of bushcraft and wilderness survival skills in a comprehensive and insightful way, providing the perfect introduction to begin your journey into the outdoors.
The principles and priorities taught on this course are applicable to both a wilderness environment and an urban one.
This course is ideal for all people new to the bush, as well as experienced outdoor enthusiasts who want to revise and hone their skills. No experience is necessary however a reasonable level of fitness is required. This 3 day format is the same format we use for our 3 day fundamental module 1 school courses.
This course is a pre-requisite for all of our other more advanced courses. It is also the ideal starting place for Middle School & High School groups, and can be tailored to the age group attending.
Spark based fire lighting
There is a difference between survival training and bushcraft.
Survival training is primarily equipment focused and was designed to teach our military personnel (in the shortest possible time) a variety of necessary skills to enable them to survive in a remote or hostile environment, long enough to be rescued or to get out of that emergency situation (usually 72 hours) and back to safety in the fastest way possible. Survival skills are important skills for anyone to know who spends time out in nature or any activity or work that takes them “off the beaten track”.
Bushcraft on the other hand focuses on maximum use of knowledge and skills with “minimal” reliance on equipment. Bushcraft is the parent skill that all survival training comes from and is far more encompassing and includes a much greater variety of disciplines such as shelter-craft, fire-craft, botany, zoology, butchery, natural navigation, bind-craft, tool making, wood carving, fishing, tracking, hunting and trapping, plant identification, edible and medicinal plant knowledge, water procurement techniques and wilderness cooking to name a few. Bushcraft draws from the knowledge and skills that indigenous cultures across the world have used to survive and live comfortably in the wilderness for thousands of years.
Basic does not mean easy! This challenging 3 Day Mod 1 Course will introduce you to a range of fundamental and necessary survival and bushcraft skills gleaned from military survival concepts, bushcraft and up to date civilian search and rescue concepts. These core wilderness skills which are also applicable to an urban environment, will concentrate mainly on modern survival methods and equipment. They include:
- survival priorities
- survival psychology
- kit mentality, essential equipment and clothing
- home preparedness and emergency planning
- safe use of cutting tools, basic grips and cuts
- knife sharpening in the field and at home
- knots and man made cordage
- how to set up modern tarps/hoochies
- improvised emergency shelter construction
- fire lighting using modern methods (ferrocerium rod, electrical, solar, chemical etc)
- sourcing and preparing tinder and kindling
- fire preparation and management
- cleaning up and leaving no trace
- water (collecting, filtering and purifying)
- useful trees and plants of the local area
- emergency signalling (active and passive methods)
- introduction to natural navigation (solar and celestial)
- camp cooking with and without cooking pots
- campcraft
- living in an expedition field camp
- camp hygiene
Our qualified instructors are trained in both military survival and in bushcraft, holding qualifications from some of the top survival and bushcraft schools worldwide.
Our teaching methodology is very structured. Concepts are explained, demonstrated then you get to practise what you have been shown, culminating in an activity/scenario at the end of the course. There are also many timed deliverables where you will have an allocated period of time to perform given tasks. This adds an element of pressure to certain tasks to help simulate some of the stresses that could be encountered in a real situation.
This approach provides the opportunity for real skill / knowledge acquisition and personal development.
Accommodation
This course is run entirely outdoors from an expedition style base camp, and you will either be sleeping in your own camping equipment that you will bring (see clothing and equipment list) or in the emergency shelter you will build yourself.
Toilets and Shower Facilities
This course is conducted in an expedition style field camp with either (depending on venue) limited or no public amenities. A screened trench latrine and gravity fed canvas bush shower in a secluded private spot, along with strict camp hygiene measures will give a natural wilderness expedition feel to your experience as well as teaching you essential outdoor toilet etiquette and how to leave no trace. You will be taught how to wash with limited water and stay clean in the bush. Our measures are low-impact and environmentally friendly.
Locations
The 3 Day Module 1 Bushcraft Survival Course is run at our NSW, Victoria and NT locations, and is conducted in natural surroundings from an outdoor expedition style base camp. The outdoor campfire classroom provides an enlightening immersion into nature, helping our students to re-connect with the natural world on their journey to becoming more self-reliant. The outdoor setting provides a wonderful wilderness experience.
All course locations have parking available and are ‘reasonably’ accessible via public transport.
Learn how to use a knife correctly to make simple camp tools
Catering & Food
You will not be living from the land on this fundamental course, that is an advanced skill that you will learn on progression through our other courses. All meals will be provided on the course with full opportunity for each student to learn and practice some outback bush cooking. Learn how to use a camp oven, bake bread and cook in the coals. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits and fresh water, as well as a fruit bowl will also be provided at the base camp.
Clothing & Equipment List
Please click here for the Clothing and Equipment List 3 Day Course
Reviews
This course was everything I was looking for and more. The knowledge and skills that Gordon imparted onto us will stay with me for life. My life outlook has been changed, I could not recommend this course more, regardless of your experience level.Bede Johnston
I wanted to thank Gordon for an excellent 7 day Bushcraft and Survival Course held at the the Territory Wildlife Park last week.
I enjoyed the content, experience and teachings from Gordon immensely. The terrain was harsh; heat, humidity and the march flies put into affect my resilience and patience and I endured what I consider an excellent experience as I further developed my outdoor living skills.Gordon, being single handled, supported, managed, facilitated and cared for the group exceptionally well. I was very impressed with his reserves of patience, thoroughness and commitment to creating a positive learning environment.I’ll continue to work on my friction fire technique and take the most important lesson I learnt in the course to all aspects of my life; preparation, preparation, preparation!Thank you for assisting with transport to and from the course. I made some great friends and I sincerely look forward to participating in another course in the future in a different terrain to continue to broaden my bushcraft and survival skills.Sally McAdam
Gordon is a true gentleman with a genuine appreciation for the environment and his students’ needs. He has the ability to convey valuable bush craft survival skills to his intended audience without being arrogant. He has a level of humility not regularly encountered in today’s society. I highly recommend attending his basic bush craft survival course as it has not only opened up my eyes, but also my mind to the countless skills and knowledge available to everyone to thrive in Australia’s bush.”
Tony Davidson
Let us start with Gordon who runs the course. Gordon is highly skilled and knowledgeable in all things buschraft and survival! His skills are clearly well honed and his experience and knowledge is obviously lived experience! He has obtained all of this from many people and sources from around the world. The information he has to share is highly valuable, not just in the bush but in life.
What he teaches are skills only a few generations ago was once second nature to us all. not disimilar to such skills as sewing and knitting. For me by doing this course I have taken a first step in my journey to ensuring I have the understanding and knowledge to foster my innate connection with myself and nature of which we are all a part of. It highlighted that most of us have a lot more to learn!!
The course entails everything you need and Gordon caters to your needs whether that is dietary, childrens needs and delivers the education in a way that you can understand and no matter what level you are you feel respected and your learning style is nurtured and supported by Gordon and Johan who was assisting him when I attended.If you are thinking about doing this course, stop thinking and jump right in! You will be so thankful that you did!”
Simone Graham
Being a dad with little kids and not a lot of time on my hands, I needed an intensive educational experience to put the things I’d read over the last few years into solid practice. Gordon delivered big time! He combined knowledge, skill and real-time practice of bushcraft and survival in a way that left me hungering for more. His approach to teaching us was humble, patient, flexible and thorough. The course combined knowledge, skill and hands-on experience in a way that left me realising the enormous difference between the theory I’d learned over the last few years and the real practice of the thing. Gordon’s proficiency as an educator in this field comes from decades of experience in a huge multitude of very real and raw environments around the world, studying under as many teachers of bushcraft as possible. Well worth the cost; I’ll be back for the Intermediate next year for sure!”
Jordan Peterson
“I attended the Basic Course at Ingleside on October 18 to 20 2019 and it was fantastic. Gordon’s knowledge of Bushcraft is amazing and his delivery is first class. I was well and truly out of my comfort zone, the course is the Basics but that doesn’t mean that it is by any way easy. It is challenging and you do get a sense of what it must be like to become fatigued if lost in the bush. Having said that, it was great to learn new skills and to be sleeping on the ground under a hoochie. I will be back again to learn more. I could not recommend this course highly enough. It was delivered most professionally and we had a great crew of friendly people attend. I loved it and got a lot from attending the course. Thanks Gordon and Johan.”
John Price
“I thought my bush survival skills were fairly good before I carried out the bush survival course… wow…. I really didn’t have a clue… Gordon has showed me ways and procedures I would never have thought of in 100 years… Everyone needs to do this course. Gordon is extremely informative and also very inspirational.”
Sheldon Quartermain, Darwin NT
Just completed Bushcraft Survival Australia’s basic bushcraft survival course at the amazing coastal camp set up in northern NSW (near Coffs Harbour). I highly recommend this course. Gordon has an extraordinary wealth of knowledge gained world wide, learning from some of the best in bushcraft and survival and a tonne of army experience as well. The structure of the basic course was excellent, he shares the theory side (with related real life examples) then you get to apply the lessons learnt in practical application; lighting fires, building shelter, tying knots, filtering water etc. I can’t wait to learn more and bring my brother along next year. If you have the slightest interest in surviving in the Australian bush, then do yourself a favour and book on one of his courses.”
A truly memorable experience on the Darwin basic bushcraft survival course. The instructor, Gordon, instructs you in a mixture of traditional and modern bushcraft and survival skills centred around a great respect and care for nature. He has trained all over the world with some of the best instructors in the field and he knows his stuff.
I would highly recommend this challenging and immensely rewarding course. You never know, it may one day save your life!”
Thank you Bushcraft Survival Australia and especially Gordon Dedman for an outstanding course over the weekend. Dylan and I learnt loads and met some wonderful people too. What a great experience and Dylan was also pretty chuffed he made the news”
Callum Campbell, Murwoolimbah QLD
The three day Basic Bushcraft Survival Course is suited to anyone who enjoys the outdoors or who wants to enhance their bush skills. Under the guidance of Gordon Dedman the course covers key topics such as having the correct mindset to prioritizing, shelter, knots, cutting tools, fire lighting, signaling, navigation plus more. A very informative course about the natural world teaching practical survival skills you can apply”
Great course well worth taking the time to do men and woman, you should do at least the basic course as you will learn skills to help you in everyday life as well as a survival situation. I will be going back.”
What an eye opening and educating experience! Gordon presents all the information in such a way that even with my minimal knowledge and experience I felt like I really did get to hone some amazing skills (fire lighting was my favourite). There was a lot of fun and laughs along the way and everyone really mucked in and supported each other. This was of particular importance to me as I thought I might be on the “out” as not being one of the “boys”, not the case at all. All in all an amazing experience and would definitely recommend.”
I had the most amazing time on this course! As someone who has little to no experience camping I couldn’t believe how much I learned in such a short space of time, and how much I enjoyed learning how to tie knots, set up an emergency shelter and even light a fire in under 5 minutes.
Gordon is the best! He is so knowledgeable and will take the time to explain the details and ensure that you understand. Johan is fantastic, always there to help you out and provide additional insights (and will lend you some cord or a ferro rod when you really need it!)
Thanks so much Gordon & Johan, I had such an incredible experience and I’ll definitely be coming back for more (hopefully I won’t spill all my water next time..) 11/10!”
Highly recommended!!!!! Best course I’ve ever done… Cheers Gordon. Can’t wait to arrive to do the advance.”
I completed the Basic course in Sydney and had a great time; as a hiker with a growing interest in Bushcraft I found the knowledge Gordon passed on to be incredibly useful. I’ve also found a new confidence when heading off into the bush, knowing I can depend on myself and my skills to keep myself out of trouble.
Thanks Gordon for sharing your knowledge. I had a great time.”
Booking: Fundamental Module 1 Bushcraft Survival Course (3 Days) – Public Courses
Duration: 3 Days, 3 nights
Price: $590 (adult) $295 (child)
Minimum age: 12 (juniors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult).
Included: 3 full days and nights of instruction from “fully qualified” instructors, all food & beverages, land use fees, insurance and your own Morakniv bushcraft knife to keep.
Number of places: 15
Course meeting time: 5:30pm (day 0)
Course finish time: 5:00pm (day 3)
15-18 April 2021, Victoria (venue TBC)
29 April – 2 May 2021, Sydney NSW
29 May – 1 June 2021, Coffs Coast NSW
10-13 June 2021, Darwin NT
3-6 July 2021, Darwin NT
2-5 October 2021, Victoria (venue TBC)
14-17 October 2021, Sydney NSW
23-26 October 2021, Coffs Coast NSW
Upon making your booking you will receive a link to the participant consent form, which must be filled out and returned immediately, along with other documentation about what to bring and where to go.
Booking: Fundamental Module 1 Bushcraft Survival Course (3 Days) – School Courses
Duration: 3 Days, 2 nights
Price: On enquiry. Group discounts available. Two teaching staff are included at no extra cost
Minimum age: Year 7 students
Included: 3 full days and 2 nights of instruction from “fully qualified” instructors, all food & beverages, land use fees and insurance. Morakniv bushcraft knives will be loaned for the duration of the course.
Number of places: 20 students and 2 teaching staff
Course meeting time: 9.00am (day 1) – TBC with school
Course finish time: 5:00pm (day 3) – TBC with school